Charlotte Hornets: Arnoldas Kulboka impressed in Summer League

The Charlotte Hornets may have found a second-round steal in Arnoldas Kulboka who showed plenty of potential at the Las Vegas Summer League.

While Miles Bridges, Dwayne Bacon, and Willy Hernangomez headlined the Charlotte Hornets‘ summer league team with their great play, Arnoldas Kulboka had a quietly impressive campaign in Las Vegas. The second-round pick (No. 55 in 2018) got his first taste of NBA basketball and was able to showcase his skillset.

Although he only averaged 3.8 points per game and 1.3 rebounds per game, Kulboka didn’t look out of place against other summer leaguers. It’s worth noting that the 6’9 forward only played in four of the Hornets’ five games and saw limited playing time with only 8.5 minutes per game. Still, he made the most of his opportunities by shooting 46% from the field.

In Charlotte’s opening game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Arnoldas scored 12 points in 13 minutes. He was the team’s third-leading scorer and even made a three. That was by far his most impressive game during the summer league. It gave us a glimpse of what Kulboka could be one day in the future.

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Mitch Kupchak has already stated that the plan is for Kulboka to play overseas during the 2018-19 season and they aren’t going to bring him stateside until both sides think he’s ready for the NBA. (CharlotteObserver.com) That’s a good move by the organization and for the 20-year old as he will continue to develop. He’s not ready for the NBA game but the potential is there.

Not only does Arnoldas have great size and length but he has the agility to match. He also has the ability to stretch the floor. Kulboka will need to get stronger going forward and become a much better rebounder because as his size, he should be pulling down way more boards. Adding strength should help him get more rebounds and become more of a post presence on both ends of the floor.

His defense needs some work as well but he makes a living on offense. He is a skilled shooter, a more than willing passer, and a decent finisher at the rim. He has the potential to be a legit NBA player in a couple years as his size and game style matchup perfectly with the current state of the league.

There is enough promise in Kulboka to keep an eye on his for a potential move to the NBA in the near future. Even though he is a draft and stash player, he may not be stashed for very long.

Arnoldas will play in Italy’s Serie A2 next season. He’s already played professionally in his home country of Lithuania and in Germany. Kulboka is currently on loan from Brose Bramberg (Germany).

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If Arnoldas Kulboka pans out correctly, he could join the Charlotte Hornets as early as next season but more realistically, it could be two to three more years before he’s ready for the NBA. Still, there is a chance that he could be a rotational player for them in the future as a stretch four or as a three if he improves his ball handling.